CEN/STAR workshop on sampling 2005: Position paper

In the CEN/STAR Trends Analysis workshop on Sampling, initiated by request of Nordic Innovation Centre, specially invited experts provided presentations on demands from regulation on sampling quality, sampling standard developments, quality assurance systems and practical experience from different sampling situations and cases. The workshop arrived at recommendations on the importance of proper sampling for environmental and product control purposes, especially to support European Regulations, trade agreements and monitoring of environment. Sampling is an integrated part of the whole measurement process and should therefore be considered especially from the viewpoint of the end-user of the results. There is a need for raising quality control issues in sampling and for the establishment of a European more uniformly co-ordinated quality system for sampling. With standard methods available, there are in principle two different ways of achieving third party assessment of the sampling protocols and procedures: accreditation of sampling organisations based upon international, national, or in-house standards and methods, and certification of individual samplers' competences for sampling. Several activities or efforts as well as research and standardisation needs for raising the quality issues in sampling were identified and presented in a position paper of the workshop.